Transportation & Currency ,Banking in Nepal

Kathmandu and other big cities have a good network of local buses and micro-buses. There is also the option of tourist buses and vans for travelers, however, you have to ask for them beforehand. Likewise, you can easily get a taxi service or book a private car.

In Thamel, many shops offer mountain bikes and ordinary bikes for rent. The long-distance buses are available from bus parks. There are also special buses for tourists. 

Ride-Sharing Applications and Cab Booking

In Kathmandu, you can use Pathao or Tottle service to book a bike ride or cab for you. To book a ride, you have to download the application from the play store or app store and register with your mobile number (Nepali number). After that, you can use it to go anywhere in Kathmandu at a minimum cost.

Domestic air service

You can get domestic flights to most of the cities around Nepal from Kathmandu. The network is expensive, and journeys are usually short. There are 20 domestic airlines other than Nepal Airlines that offer chartered services. You can always hire a helicopter too.

Currency & Banking

Currency 

We use Nepali currency in Nepal, and its currency code is NRS. The paper most common paper notes in use are 5, 10, 20, 50, 500, and 1000. 1, 2, and 25 paper notes are rarely found in use. Likewise, there are also coins of 1, 2, and 5. You can convert your country's currency upon your arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport, banks, or money exchange centers in Thamel. 

Most of the star hotels in Kathmandu, Chitwan, and Pokhara also exchange currency, but the rate may differ from the currency exchange places. Always carry small notes with you. It will come in handy. 

Banking & Foreign Exchange

You can find ATMs in numerous places in the cities, and most of them will accept international cards issued by significant banking networks ((Plus, Cirrus, etc). The maximum withdrawal amount at once is NRS 30,000, and you can make multiple withdrawals.

Similarly, you can proceed with payments via Visa, Master Card, JCB, and American Express in most tourist class hotels, restaurants, cafes, airlines, and major merchants. Do know that there can be a transaction fee for processing the cards. As these charges are not enforced by the merchants but the banks themselves, we highly suggest you not ask for a discount. The charge may be around 4% (American Express fees are considerably higher, approximately 7%).